Lucky
by CloverNOMs
Summary: AU Neji learns a secret to how fights are sometimes won.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto

It was in the middle of the night when his uncle had awoken him abruptly. Something important he had to show him, something he had to know to complete his training. They approached a heavily locked door, one that was banned from viewing unless the elders allowed it. Hiashi dangled a long set of keys, opening the door with ease.

They walked through the dark corridors with unsure feelings. Though he was still young at the ripe age of thirteen, Neji was finally of age to view what was behind the secret door that he so achingly wanted to explore. His white eyes wandered as he saw the clear shine of jars of glowing colors flicker in and out as his uncle stared at him grimly. Neji was a genius, despite not being part of the primary lineage of the Hyuuga family, his uncle groomed him as such.

"These jars," began his uncle Hiashi, "are the souls of our enemies." Neji's fingers gently pressed on one of the glass jars.

"I have heard those rumors uncle, it's strange to see something like this come true." Neji's eyes wandered from jar to jar. "It's been said that we use these as a way to torment our enemies, either torment the soul or the soul's loved ones."

Hiashi had already figured that his young nephew knew all this, but felt a deep tinge of hesitation. "War is a complicated matter, there are goals we strive for as a clan and for our allies. Any information that we can receive from our enemies can prove useful, even if we have to extract them through difficult means."

"This technique..."

"It is not a technique that we use often," interrupted Hiashi. "In fact, it's quite dangerous."

"What happens to these souls, once they are no longer of use," inquired Neji.

He could tell that his uncle never wanted to bring him down here, but his obligations to educate the future of the Hyuuga clan came first. Neji sat as he listened to Hiashi explain the processes of the technique and the consequences. In order to strain the soul, the body had to be weak and the user extracting had to have a high amount of stamina and on occasion, would have to switch off to another user. The soul itself, while contained in the jar, can retain a translucent version of its former form when taken out. While the soul is no longer considered human, they aged like one.

"...but when it finally passes, in theory the soul has no afterlife to go to."

The soul illuminated the room much brighter than they had before, as if they could hear the explanation the older Hyuuga gave to the younger. Even if they managed to gather their freedom, they could never join their beloved ones in the afterlife.

"Do you understand what I have shown you, the obligation I have placed upon you and the many clansmen in our family?" asked Hiashi.

Neji tried hard to ignore the flashing lights on his tired eyes.

"Yes uncle," he replied.

Stepping out the room, locking the door behind them, the souls continued to glimmer. Some had been there for a short while, some had been there longer, however all their emotions were the same as they all displayed their despair through the night.

**Notes**: I admit that BLEACH was an inspiration to this story, you'll probably see some more elements of it in the future. Reviews would be wonderful!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for the reviews :) Here's Chapter 2

Hulking a bag over his shoulder, walking into the busy town, Neji used his blue eyes to surveillance the area. His normally white eyes were covered with tinted lenses as a disguise for his mission, for genjutsu would have been too easy to trace. It was different from his usual home, loud and crowded with argumentative folk. Hard enough that he had no idea where he was going over everyone's heads, the decrepit buildings looked alike to him. One would normally question on who in their right mind would allow a thirteen year old to roam a town alone.

Neji's mind wandered to the previous day, where he was briefed on his mission. A new identity along with a light disguise to blend in, Neji was to spend an unknown amount of time in Midori Village gathering information. Already, there was much anticipation to get this over with as soon as possible, this living situation wasn't ideal.

He walked over to a pale blue building, glancing at the piece of paper and back at the building, he reached his destination. After getting his set of keys at room 901, Neji opened the door to find several boxes standing on the side with a bed right beside the window. Exhausted from his long trip, he entered his shower, relishing the warmth on his aching body. Afterwards, he passed out, wet hair and all.

Several hours had passed, or so Neji thought, when he heard an incessant pounding on his door. Groggy and still exhausted, he opened the door to see the round eyes and shiny teeth of a boy his age.

"Welcome to our neighborhood new neighbor!" exclaimed the boy dressed in green with a black bowl haircut. "My name is Lee, my family would like to you to join us for dinner tonight!"

Half-tempted to slam the door on his face, Neji resisted the urge, nodding to the invitation.

"Ah! Please join us in one hour at apartment building 904. Is there anything that my family should know? Are you allergic to anything?" inquired Lee as he whipped out a small notebook and pen.

"Nothing," huffed Neji "Where are my manners, my name is Neji. I will be at your apartment door in an hour. Is there anything I should bring?"

"Nonsense! You are new and a guest to our household. We shall provide everything for a wonderful dinner," replied Lee.

Neji watched Lee scamper off to his apartment door, noting the funny green tights he wore. Uncle Hiashi, what was the whole point of this mission again? Oh yeah, infiltrate this village for information on potential high ranked enemy ninjas that have supposedly been seen. The living choice was due to an analysis that pinpointed this complex as the place where most ninjas seemed to live. Well, nothing in the briefing said he couldn't have a free meal. After all, the markets were all closed at this time. He was by himself for the first time in his life.

It was difficult brushing his knotted hair, normally he had servants assisting him. Neji stared at himself in the mirror, unfamiliar with the blue eyes that replaced his white ones. It was a pain having to keep them as often as he had to, but a necessity. Unfortunately for the Hyuuga clan, these small and annoying tweaks to appearances were needed for missions like these. Clipping the last button on his white jacket, he sat down on his bed. An empty apartment, an annoying town, and the increasing feeling of loneliness made Neji realize more and more on how much he had always hated leaving the Hyuuga family home.

He closed the door behind him, walking the short distance to room 904. Neji could hear Lee's boisterous shouting alongside other voices. Before he could even knock on the door, it swung open revealing a tall man dressed in the same green tights as Lee.

"Welcome new neighbor! My name is Gai, the head of the household, please come in!"

The green beast grabbed Neji by his arm, dragging him inside, sitting him at the small dinner table. Steam from the kitchen permeated the small apartment as Gai sat down beside him with the same sparkling smile as Lee.

"Tell me my boy, your name is Neji correct? From what my boy told me, you're living alone," stated Gai.

"Yes, my parents passed when I was young, so I have been living by myself for quite some time, replied Neji.

"Such sadness, such bravery for a youth of your age!" cried Gai. "My dear Lee, Neji displays such strength and youth."

Lee appeared with multiple beverages, cans and boxes, at hand. "My new friend! Is there any particular drink that you would like?

Neji noted the resemblance between the father and son was uncanny, from their bushy eyebrows to their hair to their choice in green tights. As he selected a drink from Lee's arms, taking in that the household décor was surprisingly simple for how loud these two men were.

"Please tell us more about yourself Neji!" sat Lee to his left.

"Indeed, we must know everything about our new youthful friend!" sat Gai to the right.

In between father and son, Neji started to feel uncomfortable, both of them asking the same variation of questions over and over again. Then all of a sudden, a gust of white smacked Gai in the back of the head.

"My apologies Neji, my husband can be quite obnoxious at times," stated a tall attractive woman with gentle brown eyes. "My name is Mina and dinner will be ready soon."

She wore a violet apron as she walked back inside the kitchen to finish up her dishes. Through the sizzle of the oil and the wafting scents, Neji wondered how such a simple woman could marry such a crazed man as Gai. Perhaps it was out of turn to think this way, for the mechanics of the relationship weren't for him to judge, but this marriage seemed questionable.

"I already know what you're thinking Neji. How could such a lovely woman be interested in a man like me," said Gai. "It baffles me at times too, but one must remember that when you embody the springtime of youth, love blossoms too."

"Alright darling, stop bothering him," scolded Mina as she brought out a giant appetizer plate of steaming pork buns with her delicate hands.

The food was entirely foreign to Neji, but the delectable smell and his growling stomach told him they were more than fine to eat. Lee eagerly handed him a plate along with the biggest bun out of the bunch, his round eyes sparkling with glee. Neji grabbed the bun delicately, taking a small bite, chewing the sweet warm bread slowly. Whether it was due to him not eating all afternoon or not, each morsel of the pork bun proved deliciously exciting to Neji's palate. Either way, it took all his strength to ignore the gleaming eyes of the two people sitting on opposite sides of him.

Mina watched their guest from behind, noting Lee and Gai's expressions as indicators to how Neji was reacting to her cooking. Tucking a long strand of brown hair behind her ear with a smile on her face, Mina walked back into the kitchen to finish the rest of the dishes. She noted that she would have to prepare extra food for the poor boy, living by himself for so long must have not been easy. Still, she giggled slightly, at the thought of Lee and Gai's over excitement. Poor Neji, perhaps once everything was done and everyone was properly seated, things would become more comfortable.

"What do you do?" asked Lee.

"I am a ninja, I trained in Aoi Academy specializing in taijutsu and plan on continuing my studies at the academy here,"replied Neji.

"Amazing! I am a ninja that specializes in taijutsu too! We must engage in a fight as a display of our youthful energy! I will not lose!"

Neji winced at the thought especially when he spotted Gai's eyes gleaming eagerly at their conversation. Normally, he would easily take down someone like Lee with his Gentle Fist technique. However, due to this mission, anything that he did as a Hyuuga would have to be nonexistent. It was annoying having a conversation with someone as loud as Lee. Was it remotely possible for him to not shout out his ridiculous statements? What was all this youth talk about?

Gai, surprisingly, dismissed himself quietly to help his wife in the kitchen. Right as he left, the front door softly clicked open as Neji and Lee's attention diverted to a girl their age covered in dirt. Dressed in pink, with gentle brown eyes like Mina and her long hair in two large buns, she smiled with a slight gush in embarrassment possibly due to her appearance.

"My sister, why are you covered in dirty before dinner and in front of a guest too!" chastised Lee.

"Sorry, sorry, I was in the middle of practice and I lost track of time,"smiled the girl. "Things got a little hectic and here I am."

Mina popped her head out of the kitchen, sighing and shaking her head.

"Tenten, bath, now."

Never would a Hyuuga woman appear in front of guests in such a way as Tenten did. While Neji wasn't insulted by this like his uncle probably would have been, it was another reminder on how new everything was to him.

Mina came out with several trays filled with fried noodles, succulent smelling beef, and freshly steamed vegetables.

"Forgive my daughter," she smiled. "Normally she's much more prompt, but she's been taking her ninja studies very seriously."

They unanimously decided to start dinner without Tenten since Mina's dinner portions were generous. Much like the pork buns, Neji fell happily into the flavors that danced on his taste buds. He wasn't used to such rich food. Watching Lee and Gai vacuum through the food like it was nothing served as a reminder that thankfully, due to a ninja's physical activity, weight gain wasn't really an issue.

"Do you like the food? You're more than welcome to join us for dinners," offered Mina.

Neji nodded with a huge cheek full of noodles, blushing at what he felt was rude. He watched her smile in appreciation as she carried dirty dishes into the kitchen. This family really did seem abnormally happy, a huge contrast to home. Polishing off the last of the noodles in his bowl, he sat fully satisfied from his meal. While it wasn't late, Neji was still exhausted from his trip now accompanied by the plentiful food he had just eaten.

"My new friend! I challenge you to a fight in the future! No doubt you are most likely a worthy adversary, but I will shine!" said an overexcited Lee.

Neji let out a sigh, he was too full to give out a coherent answer. Instead he nodded at the challenge, politely dismissed himself from the table and exited the apartment with the ever exuberant Lee waving his arms in a feverish goodbye. It was great that his own place was only a couple doors away, all he had to do was stumble and fall asleep.

At the same time, Tenten stepped out of the bathroom wearing a robe and a towel over her hair. Mina glanced at her with mild annoyance.

"Sorry mom..."

"I understand that you were probably embarrassed over coming in the way that you did, but that was no reason to skip out on dinner."

Tenten grabbed a leftover bun that Mina had saved her, munching on it slowly. Her brother and father were probably off on some challenge, as they figures blurred in quick push up motions. She would have to apologize for her absence, mostly on her mother's insistence. Something about their guest scared her though, his eyes were just so cold.


End file.
